Source: Red Sox close to deal with Dempster

Summary of 7 articles · Updated Dec 14, 2012

The Boston Red Sox on Thursday reached a two-year, $26.5 million agreement with free-agent pitcher Ryan Dempster, according to a baseball source. He can still be a very smart pitcher, though, and the Red Sox are hoping Dempster can pitch more like he did … (more)with the Cubs in 2012 than he was with the Rangers after being traded at the deadline . The Boston Red Sox on Thursday agreed to a two-year, $26.5 million contract with Ryan Dempster, who is 35 and went 12-8 with a 3.34 earned run average last season for the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers. Neither Dickey nor the Mets have gone on the record with their current bargaining positions, but it is generally accepted that Dickey, who is signed for 2013 for $5 million, is seeking a two-year extension for 2014 and 2015 for about $26 million, or roughly what Dempster is receiving in his deal with the Red Sox. General manager Doug Melvin confirmed that he had made a formal offer to Dempster, who made sense for the Brewers as an innings-eater, a quality clubhouse presence and a ground-ball pitcher with a long history of success at hitter-friendly Miller Park. Boston hopes he will be an improvement over Josh Beckett, who was 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal that conceded the 2012 season while clearing $250 million in future salaries.